Apparatus for making mattresses.



No. 679,585. Patented July 30, I901.

. J. T. WOOLERY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING MATTRESSES.

(Applicgtion filed Aug. 29, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 $h08i$8h00i l.

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No. 679,585. Patented July 30, l90l. J. T. WOULERY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING MATTRESSES.

(Application filed Aug. 29, 1898.)

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No. 679,585. Patented July so, 1901. J. T. woouanv.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING MATTBESSES.

(Application filed Au 29, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheat 3.

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APPARATUS FOR MAKING IIATTRESSES.

(Appficstion mm Aug. 29 1898.) um Modal.)

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. Arm/871K 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. WOOLERY, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING MATTRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,585, dated July 30, 1901.

Application filed August 29, 1898. Serial No. 689,782. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. WOOLERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort WVorth, Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Making Mattresses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for thoroughly cleaning and compressing cotton or other fibrous material and stuffing the same into ticks for mattresses and similar articles; and the object is to construct machinery by which superior mattresses can be made and by which the output of mattresses in any given time may be increased, all of which may be done without increasing the number of laborers; and I accomplish. this object by the machinery hereinafter fully described.

Reference ishad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the stuffingbox with a part of casing removed to show the cover. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the cover, showing the manner of mounting the cover. Fig. 3 is a, detail view showing the manner of constructing a portion of the cover. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the upper part of the chute. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the stuffing-box. Fig. 6 is a detail View illustrating the manner of attaching sprocket-chains for raising the cover. Fig. 7 is a broken side elevation of the stuffing-box, illustrating the vibrating distributer. Fig. 8 is a detail view of driving-gear for raising the cover. Fig. 9 is a detail view of a countersunk nut. Fig. 10 is a broken view of the stuffing-box, partly in section, the view being a part of the elements separated for convenience in making explanations. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the follower.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

This machine consists of a box or chamber D, adapted to receive material from a gin or picker through a chute which distributes the material uniformly throughout the chamber and of means for mechanically compressing the material and discharging the same into ticks. The stuffing-box is illustrated in Figs. 1, 5, and 10. This box consists of the stationary ends and movable sides, the sides being movable between the ends. The ends consist of uprights 30, mounted on supports 31, and of suitable cross-pieces for bracing and of suitable covering. The bottom N of the box is preferably constructed of metal boards, which are supported on suitable sleepers 101, which are supported by the sills 32. The central bottom boards at n are stationary. The outside boards n n are attached to and movable with the sides of the box. The boards n n are removable, so that mattresses of different widths can be made. The bottom boards are prepared with crimped edges, so that the edge of each board will engage the adjacent edge of the next board. The boards will all be engaged, and thus prevent the sides from spreading. are taken out, the boards at" n will be engaged by the boards at n by reason of the crimped edges. There is a slot 0 in the bottom of the box, through which a depending lug 102 of the follower projects and is engaged by a sprocket-chain 0. When the chain is driven, it carries the follower. The follower consists of a triangular frame 103, having a central body 104 and a board 105. The board 105 is placed loosely against the head of the follower, and a longer or shorter board may be used as a wider or a narrower mattress is to be made. The sprocket-chain 0 is driven bytwo sprocket-wheels, one being mounted on each end of the box. The sprocketwheels are driven by a shaft 0, which is driven by a cog 33 and pinion 34, fully described in a previous application, Serial No. 688,167, filed August 9, 1898. The lid or pressing-frame N is constructed of a number of joists 100, to which metal boards m and mare attached. The joists are suspended on crossbeams 35, one at each end of the pressingframe, by means of iron hangers 36. One board an is attached to the three central joists. The other joists are movable on the crossbeams 36 and are arranged in pairs, and a board an is attached to each pair of joists. The adjacent edges of the boards m and m are crimped, so that the boards will engage each other and may be telescoped together for the purpose of making narrower mattresses. In

Fig. 1 the pressing-frame is shown substantially in the position it occupies when the mat When the boards a n frame-pieces 40, 41, and 42 are attached to the boards 43 at thebottom and to the crosspieces 44 at the top. The pieces and 41, 1 which are connected by the short blocks 45, may be of one piece instead of two pieces.

Slots 46 are left between the frame-pieces 41 and 42 for the ends of the beams 35 of the pressing-frame. These beams project through the 'slots 46 far enough to be engaged by the sprocket-chains, which raise and lower the pressing-frame. The slots extend from the boards 32 to the cross-pieces 44. The sides are further braced by cross-braces 47 and 48. The sides are moved in and out by four right and left screw-shafts 49, each having threads running from near the central part toward the ends thereof. Stationary blocks 50'are attached to the boards 43 and to the crosspicces 44, through which these-shafts are operated. The upper shafts 49 have bearings inside frame-pieces 106, to which uprights 30 are attached, the frame-pieces 106 bein g stationary. The lower shafts 49 have bearings in the boards 32. As the shafts49 are turned'the sides move in or out, as may be desired. A sprocket-wheel 51 is mounted on the end of each shaft 49 on one side of the machine, and all the sprocket-wheels 51 are driven by the sprocket-chain 51. Driving the chain 51 rotates all the shafts 49, and this operation moves the sides of the stuffing-box toward the center of the box or moves the sides to theiroutward limit. In Fig. 10 a part of the upper left-hand corner of the framework is broken away to show the manner of mounting the shafts 49, and a part of the sleeper 101 is broken in the lower right-hand corner to show the manner of mounting the lower shafts 49. I

The pressing-frame is raised and lowered by four sprocket-chains, each being provided with two sprocket-wheels and suitable shafts. Sprocket-chains 52 are mounted on sprocketwheels 53, and these wheels are mounted on shafts 54. The two sprocket-chains corresponding to chains 52 and 56 are indicated by the reference characters 55 and 56, the sprocket chains 56 being mounted on sprocketwheels 57 and these wheels beingmounted on shafts 58 and 59. The chain 56 is also mounted on wheels which are mounted on shafts-58 and 59. The chain 55 is mounted on wheels which are mounted on shafts 54. The sprocket-chain 56 is driven by a cogwheel 60, mounted on shaft 59, and this cogwheel 60 is driven by a pinion 61, mounted on a shaft 62. Shaft 62 is driven by the drive-wheel 63, which may be driven by manual power or by any other suitable power. Power exerted on this wheel will be applied at the four corners of the stufiing-box to the corners of the pressing-frame, andsufficient power must be applied to compress the mattress to the proper dimensions or thickness. In order to drive chain 52, power must be transmitted from chain 56. This may be done from shaft 69 or from shaft 58. The portions of the chains 52 and 56 adjacent to each other and of chains 55 and 56' adjacent to each other must run in the same direction at the same time. When the pressing-frame is going up, the shaft 54 must turn in a direction opposite to that of the hands of a clock, and shaft 58 must turn in the direction of the hands of a clock, and vice versa, when the pressing-frame is going down. In. order to accomplish this, a cog-wheel 64 is mounted on the shaft 58 near the central part or any suitable part, and a cog-wheel 65 is mounted on shaft 66 and driven by cog 64. Asprocketwheel is also mounted on shaft 66 and drives a sprocket-chain 67. The chain 67 drives the sprocket-wheel 68, and this wheel drives shaft 54. The shafts 54, 58, and 66 all have bearings mounted on the beams 106, which rest on top of the end pieces 30.

A counterweight 69 may be attached by rope or cable 70 to the central portion of the pressing-frame for guiding said frame. A friction-brake 71 for regulating the-speed of the drive-wheel 63 is attached to the upright 31 and to a lever 72. The sides of the stuffing-box are supported at the top on the screwshafts 49, which have bearings in the two beams 73 and 74, which are attached to the ends of the box. The blocks or bearingblocks 50 are attached to and movable with the side pieces 44 and have nuts 75 countersunk therein, through which the shafts 49 operate.

The chute leading from the stuffing-box, on which the tick is stretched to receive the pressed material as it is forced from the stuffing-box by the follower, may be constructed of sheet metal. The metal boards n n, n n, and n" n project far enough to form the bottom of the chute. The upper part is constructed of two parts, which are telescopic. The part 77 is mounted on hangers 7 9, which are attached to a bar 80, movable in a slot in the end piece 81 of the stuffing-box. The part 78 is mounted on hangers 82 and 83. Hanger 83 is attached to a block 84, which is movable in slot 85, and hanger 82 is attached to a similar block 86, which is movable in a slot 87. All the hangers may be held in place by suitable bolts. The end piece 81 when in place occupies a position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The end piece 81 of the frame is raised by means of the two upright pieces 152, which are pivotally attached to the levers 150 and 151. Pressing on lever 150 operates both levers and raises the uprights 152.

Slats are to be used to aid in forcing the formed material into ticks similar to slats used in other stuffing-boxes for forming mat tresses.

IIO

The bat-forming material is delivered from a gin or picker by means of a chute which leads from the gin or picker and delivers the material through an opening in the side of the stuffingbox. The chute is made adj ustable and removable. The part G of the chute which enters box 1) telescopes on the part 0' of the chute which delivers material from the gin or picker, and for this reason the part 0 is mounted on a slide K, supported on the frame K. The slide K is moved back and forth from the box D by means of a thimble K and a cord L, which is wound on the thimble and attached to each end of the slide. The part 0 of the chute is turned down in the box D, and a distributer Lis at tached thereto by a flexible joint. This is done in order that the distributer may be vibrated to distribute the material uniformly as it falls in the box. A pitman-rod L is attached to the distributer L and is operated by a disk M. The disk M has a slot across the same in order that the pitman-rod may be regulated to give the right length of the vibrations to the distributer. The disk M is mounted on a suitable shaft and driven by a pulley and a belt M, which-runs toasuitable motive power. By means of the vibrating distributer the material for making mattresses may be distributed evenly, and thus make the mattresses of uniform thickness. Fig.7 shows the chute in position for feeding material in the stuffing-box and shows the pressing-frame N for compressing the material raised. When enough material to make a mattress has been picked and delivered into the stuffing-box, the chute is telescoped back on part 0 by means of the slide K,so that the pressing-frame can be let down. The dust and dirt escape out of the sides of the chute and through the sides of the stuffing-box, and the material falls uniformlyin the box fiber upon fiber until enough material has been picked to form a mattress. In this way a bat is formed in which the material is so interwoven or interlapped that the bat will not break in pieces and when forced into a tick makes a mattress which needs no tucking, because the mattress is made of a single bat.

The stuffing-box is provided with movable sides for the purpose of making mattresses of any desirable width. The pressing-frame is raised and lowered, and power is applied thereto by the sprocket-chains heretofore described. The two cross-beams 35 of the pressing-frame project through the movable sides, and the sprocket-chains are attached to these cross-beams, so that all the power necessary for compressing the material is applied to the corners of the pressing-frame. After the material is sufficiently compressed it is forced into the tick by means of the follower.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mattress-making machine provided with a bat-forming box and a chute for delivering material to said box; a pressing-frame for said box and means for raising and lowering and applying power to said pressingframe, said means consisting of four shafts suitably mounted, sprocket-wheels mounted on the ends of said shafts, a sprocket-chain provided with suitable gearing for transmitting power from one end of said box to the other, sprocket-chains on said wheels at each corner of said box and means for applying power to said chains, said chains being attached to said pressing-frame.

2. In a mattress-making machine provided with a bat-forming box and a chute for delivering material to said box; a pressing-frame for said box and means for operating said pressing-frame consisting of four shafts extending transversely across said box at each end thereof, a sprocket-wheel mounted on the end of each of said shafts, a sprocket-chain mounted on a top and a bottom wheel at each corner of said box, said chains being attached to the cross-beams of said pressing-frame, a sprocket-chain provided with suitable gearing for transmitting power from one end of said box to the other, and means for applying power to said sprocket-chains.

3. In a mattress-making machine provided with a bat-forming box and a chute for delivering material to said box; a pressing-frame for said box'constructed of two cross-beams, joists provided with hangers for atttaching the joists to the cross-beams loosely, metallic boards attached to said joists, said boards being provided with catch edges for engaging each other, and means for operating said pressing-frame.

4C. In a mattress-making machine provided with a bat-forming box and a chute for delivering material to said box; a bottom for said box constructed of sheet-metal boards, the two central boards being stationary and havinga space between the same, the other boards being movable and having catch edges adapted to engage each other and the edges of the central boards which have corresponding catch edges, and means for supporting said boards.

5. In a mattress-stuffing machine provided with a box for collecting and cleaning and compressing material; means for distributing material evenly in said box consisting of a chute for delivering material to said box, said chute having a depending distributer connected thereto by a flexible joint, means for removing said chute from and inserting the same in said box, and an eccentric for vibrating said distributer consisting of a disk provided with means for operating the same and a pitman-rod connected to said disk and to the depending distributer.

6. In a mattress-stuffing machine provided with a box for collecting and compressing material into bats; a movable chute for delivering material to said box, a depending distributer connected to said movable chute, and means for adjusting the movable chute consisting of a slide on which said part is mount- In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the ed, a suitable support for said slide, and a presence of two Witnesses, this 23d day of Authimble having a cord attached to each end gust, 1898.

of said slide whereby said chute is inserted JOHN T. WOOLERY. in said box for delivering the material there- Witnesses: to and removed therefrom when enough ma- A. L. JACKSON,

terial has been delivered to form a mattress. 1 B. F. BOULDIN. 

